Taxpayers should begin to implement processes to comply with the new electronic voucher system that will begin in 2017.

The Costa Rican Tax Authorities have published two draft resolutions related to the electronic voucher system that will be implemented in 2017.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Finance is currently developing software to implement a system of electronic vouchers¹ (i.e., electronic invoices, tickets, credit notes, debit notes, as well as electronic income receipts, and supporting documentation for costs and expenses). The electronic voucher system will be mandatory for all taxpayers, withholding agents and other entities or individuals with formal tax obligations or tax liabilities (e.g., an entity or individual that might have to file informative tax statements or provide information to Tax Authorities).

To this end, the Tax Authorities have published two draft resolutions: (i) "Electronic Vouchers,"² which sets out the technical and format-related specifications of the electronic voucher system to be implemented, and (ii) "Mandatory Use of Electronic Vouchers,"³ which establishes that all taxpayers, as well as entities and individuals with formal tax obligations with the Tax Authorities, must implement the electronic voucher system to support their transactions.

According to the Tax Authorities' estimates, the electronic voucher system will be ready to operate in January 2017. The Tax Authorities will publish a notice in the Official Gazette to announce the mandatory use of the software six months before the electronic voucher system is implemented. The Tax Authorities will notify taxpayers classified as "large taxpayers" and "large territorial corporations" by email.

We will inform you when the Tax Authorities issue the final resolutions and corresponding regulations.

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ENDNOTES

¹The Ministry of Finance, through a public bid process, contracted with the Heredia Public Services Company (in Spanish: Empresa de Servicios Públicos de Heredia) to develop, implement and operate the software.

²The public consultation notice of this resolution was published in the Official Gazette on August 5, 2016.

³The public consultation notice of this resolution was published in the Official Gazette on September 12, 2016.